thecrowncompetitors

Chestnut-haired Pilin Leon, then, 18-year-old computer engineering student student from Venezuela, was crowned Miss World 1981 on Thrusday November 12, 1981 night and immediately vowed to serve her full year on the beauty throne - unlike her predecessor who quit in less than a day. "This is mine and I'm going to keep it," the tearful Leon told reporters after being selected from among 67 entrants at the 31st annual Miss World Contest. Despite having been made the pre-contest favourite by British bettors, the lanky brown-eyed Leon declared, "I didn't expect to win. There are so many pretty girls." Leon was also named winner of the Americas Queen of Beauty Trophy, one of five continental prizes awarded for the first time that year. To Leon went the top prize worth $51,192 including a fur coat amd a one-year employment contract. During the finals Leon was asked what kind of men she liked. "Intelligent," she answered. "Just Intelligent?" asked host Judith Chalmers. "And very tall," replied the five-foot-ten Leon. After relinquished her Miss World crown, Leon did not let her Miss World fame go to her head. She returned to university to study and finished a degree in computer engineering. Leon since worked as a TV presenter and formed her own company organising product launches. She is now married and has a wonderful family with three sons. We last saw her at the 2002 pageant in London where she was invited to joined the show as one of the judging panel.

The runners-up were: 
1st runner-up: Nini Johanna Soto Gonzalez (Colombia)
2nd runner-up: Sandra Angela Cunningham (Jamaica)

Finalists: 
3rd runner-up: Maristela Silva Grazzia (Brazil)
4th runner-up: Michelle Donnelly (United Kingdom)
5th runner-up: Melissa Hannan (Australia)
6th runner-up: Lisa Lynn Moss (United States)

The delegates who made in the top fifteen are:

Ana Helen Natali (Argentina), Dominique van Eeckhourdt (Belgium), Earla Stewart (Canada), Geraldine Mary McGrory (Ireland), Naomi Kishi (Japan), Doris Pontvianne Espinoza (Mexico), Rachel Ann Thomas (Trinidad & Tobago) and Juliet Nyathi (Zimbabwe).

Special Awards
Personality: Doris Pontvianne Espinoza (Mexico),
Photogenic: Melissa Hannan (Australia)

Continental Queens
Africa: Juliet Nyathi - Zimbabwe
America: Carmen Josefina Leon Crespo - Venezuela
Asia: Naomi Kishi - Japan
Europe: Michele Donnelly - United Kingdom
Oceania: Melissa Hannan - Australia

***The Continental Queen of Beauty awards were handed out for the very first time.

***United States, Lisa Lynn Moss, was the first woman to compete in Miss World under the Miss USA franchise. She placed as 2nd runner-up in Miss USA, representing Miss Louisiana USA.

***Cayman Islands and New Zealand sent their first black delegates to Miss World.

***This is the first time that there were only two runners-up and Miss World during the crowning ceremony.